


The Bones

by banksiana



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: F/F, Panther!Carmilla, Werewolf!Danny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:20:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22095517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banksiana/pseuds/banksiana
Summary: Laura, Carmilla, and Danny have lived a long, full life together. A little piece of their later years.
Relationships: LaFontaine/Lola Perry, Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein/Danny Lawrence
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	The Bones

February 2079. A small mountain cabin sat in the northern Canadian woods. A severe snowstorm ripped through the night, blanketing the cabin in a thick coating of snow and ice. The cabin could easily be mistaken as abandoned. It appeared a bit worn down, showing years of use. But the house was still sturdy, bracing against the potentially damaging storm. The only evidence of occupancy was a thin stream of smoke rising from the chimney before quickly being carried off by the billowing wind.

“Yes, darling, we’re fine. Have fun. Yes, I love you too. We all send our love. Goodnight.” The call ended with a click. Placing the phone down, Danny carefully grabbed the three cups of cocoa before ever so slowly making her way from the kitchen to the living room. Danny didn’t move as quickly these days but she was certainly just as capable as ever.  
“Jack called, they got home safely.” Danny said, handing Laura her tardis mug filled with cocoa. Danny could hardly believe that mug had made it through the years. Sure, it was chipped and faded, but it still held cocoa just fine. And Laura still favored it. 

“That’s good.” Laura didn’t take her eyes off the fireplace in front of her. Danny took a moment to admire her. Laura’s face held lines that proved she lived a full, long life. Crow’s feet took up residency at the edges of her eyes. Her hair had it’s fair share of grays but still managed to hold on to some of the honey-brown color that Danny has loved so much. Laura lifted her mug to her mouth, hands shaking the whole way up. Old age had awarded Laura with a tremor. It took an almost-accident with a knife a number of years ago for Laura to accept that her fine motor skills were a thing of the past. She let Danny and Carmilla do most of the cooking after that. Laura noticed she was being watched and gave Danny a weak smile, “Everything alright?”

“Of course.” Danny leaned down, with much effort, to kiss Laura. Danny’s back had not been kind to her in her later years. She shuffled over to where Carmilla was sitting in her rocking chair next to Laura. Danny bent down to be at eye-level with her enemy-turned-lover. Carmilla, the once ever-young vampire, was now as old looking as they come. Her hair was almost entirely gray, her face marred by wrinkles. Carmilla seemed to look straight through Danny. When Danny was finally noticed, a smile appeared on Carmilla’s face. The vampire took the mug from her lover’s hands.

“Did you put blood in it, mutt?”

“Fang-face, I would think after 65 years you’d trust me to get your cocoa order right.” Carmilla’s smile grew. Danny reached up to adjust the fit of Carmilla’s nasal tubes. The action flashed Danny back to a few months prior. Carmilla had been complaining of headaches and dizziness. Laura had made an appointment with their doctor for later that week, knowing that if Carmilla was complaining of not feeling well that it must be serious. Laura and Danny had found Carmilla passed out in their kitchen the morning of their scheduled appointment. She had been on an oxygen tank ever since.

Time had not been kind to the vampire. Her body seemed to deteriorate more rapidly than Laura’s or Danny’s. The three had consulted Lafontaine. The scientist ran some tests and found that Carmilla’s body, was in fact, aging at a more rapid pace. They threw around some hypotheses. Maybe it was because now that Carmilla’s mother had stripped her of her immortality, her body was making up for lost time. Maybe it was because the blood she required to survive didn’t provide her body with enough nutrition. Maybe it was because luck had just caught up to the old vampire. 

Regardless of the reasoning, Lafontaine admitted that they had no solution to offer. The years had taken their toll on them as well. A life of working with harsh chemical fumes left them blind and breathless. A doting Perry dutifully cared for her partner until their very last day. Surrounded by children and grandchildren, Lafontaine passed peacefully. Laura, Danny, and Carmilla attended their old friend’s funeral despite their own ailments making the journey difficult. They knew they had to. Perry needed the support. But like most things, that was years ago. And even Perry had eventually succumbed to illness.

Danny moved to sit next to Laura on the couch. She noticed that Laura and Carmilla were now holding hands. Danny sat and wrapped her arm around her Laura, her other hand holding her own cocoa. The three sat admiring the fire. Their small piece of the world was kept warm while the cold roared outside. That is, until, the power cut out.  
“Shit.” Laura muttered under her breath. Her eyes wandered to the pile of logs waiting to be used next to the fireplace. “Is that all that’s left?” It was difficult to make out in the now dark room, but Laura knew only a couple logs remained. They wouldn’t be able to fight off the cold for very long.

“Seems so.” Carmilla said. These two simple words threw her into a coughing fit. Laura leaned over, rubbing her love’s back.

“Carm, relax. Breathe.” Laura said. Once the coughing subsided Danny made her way over to the fire. She stoked the fire and more closely assessed the firewood supply. Three pathetic looking logs were all that there was. Danny turned to look at Laura and Carmilla. Laura was up and attempting to help Carmilla move from her rocking chair. 

"Woah," Danny was up as quickly as she could be, taking the heavy oxygen tank from Laura, "Moving to the couch?"

"Yeah. A way to conserve body heat or whatever. You know? If we all sit together and share heat." Laura guided Carmilla to the end of the couch. 

"Thanks, cupcake." Carmilla kissed Laura's hand and settled into her new spot. Danny grabbed Carmilla's favorite blanket and tucked her in. Danny was also awarded with a kiss on the hand. 

"Alright, your turn Hollis, sit down." Danny held a blanket up.

"Hey, I can tuck myself in." This caught Carmilla's attention. 

"Are you saying I can't do that for myself? Cupcake, I'm still a badass vampire." Laura turned to her love.

"Oh course you are, Carm. I still remember the time you used me as a human juice box. Truly terrifying stuff." Laura used a shaking hand to move a strand of hair out of Carmilla's face. 

"Okay love birds, break it up." Danny smiled. 

"Oh, quiet down, red." The nickname didn't exactly fit anymore, Danny's hair having been turned gray long ago. But it was still one of Carmilla's favorites.

"Right back at ya, bloodsucker.”

“Oh would you too supernatural freaks knock it off?” Laura scooted over so that there was a space between herself and Carm. “Danny, you can sit between us. Keep us warm.” Danny didn’t have nearly as many supernatural gifts as Carmilla. But one of Laura’s favorites between the two was that Danny ran warmer than a human. Sitting next to Danny on a cold night felt like wrapping yourself up in a heated blanket.

“Fine, Hollis.” Danny sat between the two, who instantly cuddled up to her, enjoying her warmth. Carmilla was next to pipe up.

“Hey, did Jack call? Did they make it home safely?” 

“Didn’t you hear me a bit ago? Yes, he called. Yes, they got home safely.” Danny said. 

“Oh. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.” Carmilla shifted uneasily in her seat. She seemed to be missing more and more these days. “That little Delilah is full of energy, huh?” Laura and Danny both gave a fond smile. 

“Yeah, she’s fast for a toddler.” Laura said. “Jack and Marie certainly have their hands full.”

“She’s not so fast. I think I remember Jack being quick on his feet when he was that little too.” Danny said. The three sat remembering the little boy that they had all loved and cared for. Of course, this little boy was now a man with a little one of his own. 

“We did a good job with that one.” Carmilla choked out, another fit of coughing getting the better of her. 

“Take it easy, would you?” Danny adjusted Carmilla’s nasal tubes once more, as if that might help. Stroking Carmilla’s hair she continued, “But I’m inclined to agree. Although I am certainly biased.”

“Aren’t we all?” Laura added. A trembling hand made its way past Danny, grabbing Carmilla’s hand. “He sure gave us hell for a couple of those teen years. But he turned out all right.” Carmilla nodded, squeezing Laura’s hand. They sat comfortably for a while until Danny got up. Danny carefully placed two of the remaining logs onto their small fire. Danny sat back down between her two lovers with a sigh. 

“Are you guys warm enough?”

“Could be better.” Laura cuddled closer to Danny in an attempt to stave off the chill. Carmilla didn’t seem like she had heard Danny.

“Let’s get you two a little closer to the fire.” Danny stood, setting up cushions, pillows, and blankets on the floor next to the fireplace. Once she was satisfied with the setup, she slowly stood, her back aching the whole time. She did her best to hide her pain. Laura got up and put the last log on the now dying fire. Meanwhile, Danny went to help Carmilla to the pile of blankets she had created.

“What? Where are we going?” Carmilla asked, confused. 

“We’re going to sit closer to the fire, Carm.” Danny was concerned. Carmilla seemed more out of it than normal. “Didn’t you see I was making a spot for us to sit? It’ll keep you warmer, fangface.” The nickname seemed to bring Carmilla back a bit. 

“I think I know a more fun way to stay warm, mutt.” Carmilla’s default always seemed to be snarky with a hint of innuendo. Still, this did nothing to quell Danny’s concern. Laura was then at Danny’s side, having overheard the conversation.

“Carm, c’mon. Danny made us a nice spot to lay.” 

“Sure, yeah.” Carmilla got up with a bit of effort. Danny grabbed her oxygen tank while Laura helped Carmilla make a spot for herself. Laura settled next to the vampire. Danny found her seat on the other side of Carmilla. 

“The fire won’t last much longer.” Danny said. This seemed to catch Carmilla’s attention. 

“We’ll be fine.” Carmilla said. “People braved the cold well before electricity, Xena. Me included.”  
“Oh, stop being snarky you bloodsucker.” Danny said, pulling Carmilla closer and kissing the top of her head. “Tell all that to her.” Danny gestured to Laura who was blowing hot breath into her hands, attempting to warm them up. 

“Hey, I’m fine.” Laura said. Carmilla took both of Laura’s hands in hers, pushing them a bit closer to the dwindling fire. 

“Cupcake, you’re freezing.” Carmilla pulled blankets around Laura.

"Oh, I am not, don't be so dramatic." Danny reached over to feel Laura's hands which, were in fact, freezing. 

"Laura!" Danny crawled over to sit behind the two, wrapping her arms around them. "You're both really cold." Danny felt around for more blankets. She could just barely make them out in the dim glow of the embers, which were the only remainder of the once roaring fire.

Danny got up and walked to the window, assessing the weather situation. The blizzard was still raging outside. The windows were mostly frozen over but Danny could still make out that the snow was up to about her waist. The odds that they’d make it off the mountain to somewhere with heat were slim. Sighing, she went down the hall to grab the comforter off their bed. 

“Creampuff, is there more firewood out back?” Carmilla asked.

“No, Carm. Jack moved the last of the firewood inside for us yesterday, remember?” Carmilla nodded, pretending to remember.

“Where did the walking redwood go?” Carmilla asked, cuddling into Laura.

“Not sure. But she’ll be back soon.”

“I’m coming!” Danny called. She walked into the living room wearing the comforter like a cape. “I brought some headlamps and flashlights too.” She came up behind the other  
girls, enclosing them within the comforter. Laura turned on one of the headlamps brought by Danny, illuminating the whole room. 

“Why do we even have headlamps?” Laura asked.

“Remember when Laf insisted we all go camping? Jack was around 7 or 8 at the time. We got enough headlamps for each of us.” Carmilla said. Danny and Laura shared a look, surprised at Carmilla’s ability to remember the camping trip. “Laf and Perry’s kids were, what? I think 6 and 8 at the time. We did all the typical stuff, roasted marshmallows, told mildly scary stories, slept in a tent. But Laf insisted we go look for owls or whatever.” Danny was curious as to how much more Carmilla could recall.

“They did always love birding.” Danny commented. “I don’t remember if we actually saw any though.”

“Oh, we did.” Carmilla said. “I’ll never forget how excited Jack was.” Laura grabbed Carmilla’s hand. It seemed that at any mention of their son, Carmilla was brought to the present.

“I remember. The big bad-ass vampire acted all apathetic. But as soon as our baby saw a spider or almost walked into a patch of poison ivy, the veil was lifted away.” Danny teased. 

“Well someone had to watch out for him. You two would have walked into a poison ivy patch yourself and not know it until the next day.” Carmilla defended herself. “I wasn’t about to deal with a kid with an ivy rash.” Carmilla tried to subtly clear her throat before being thrown into yet another coughing fit. Danny stroked her hair and Laura squeezed the hand she was holding. Minutes passed until the sound of a cell phone ringing cut through the silence.

“I’ll be right back.” Danny said, kissing both Laura and Carmilla before getting up. She walked into the kitchen to pick up the phone. “Hello?” Danny meandered back over to the living room. “Yes, dear. Yup. Hold on I’m going to put you on speaker.” Danny sat down and placed the phone in the center of the three women. Jack’s voice filled the room.

“Moms? How’s it going up there? The guy on the news said the storm is way worse than expected.” Laura was first to answer. 

“We’re fine. The power’s out but we’re keeping warm.” Laura said.

“Shit.” Jack cursed under his breath.

“Language!” Danny scolded. 

“Moms, they say the storm might last another four hours. I’m going to come back up with a generator.” Jack said.

“Absolutely not!” Carmilla spoke up, always the one to most strongly steer their child away from danger. “You won’t even make it close. A couple feet of snow has fallen since you’ve left. Besides, by the time you’d get up here the storm will be over.”

“Sure, but the power might be out for way longer than the storm. You’ll freeze.”

“We’ll be fine, dear. We’ve got a fire going right now.” Danny lied. 

“Mom, you and I both know there wasn’t much wood left yesterday. It won’t last.” It was clear that convincing their son wouldn’t be easy.

“Listen to your mothers, Jack. You can try to drive to us all you want but you’ll never make it up the mountain. Stay with your family, love.” Laura said. 

“Moms, c’mon.” Jack sighed. “How can you expect me to just do nothing while you guys just sit up there?”

“It’s not too difficult actually.” Carmilla said in a very blase tone. “To be frank, we don’t really want you up here, kid. You come with a lot of baggage. You’ve got a loud toddler, a smelly dog, and your snoring, oh god your snoring. We’re currently enjoying the peace and quiet and if you come up you’d just ruin it.” Jack could be heard laughing through the phone.

“Liar. You miss me. And my kid! And my dog!” He said.

“That may be true, but can’t a couple old ladies just enjoy some peace?” Carmilla said. There were a few moments of silence before their son responded.

“Listen, if anything goes south, you guys are going to call me right away.” He said.

“That’s going to be difficult if you keep draining the phone battery.” Danny teased.

“And moms, as soon as the storm clears I’m bringing a generator up for you guys. Just in case this happens again.”

"I think we can allow that." Carmilla said. "Now hang up, your mother is right. You're draining the battery." 

"Okay. I love you guys. Call if the power comes back on." Jack said.

"We love you too." Laura said. 

"We do. Tell Marie and Delilah we say 'Hi'." Danny added. Carmilla hummed in agreement.

"Will do. Stay warm, guys." The phone clicked as Jack hung up.

"He better not try it." Carmilla said.

"He won't." Laura said. "He knows you'll kill him." She nudged Carmilla jokingly. Danny readjusted the comforter to comfortably fit all of them. Even so, the cold still seeped through. Carmilla seemed to be affected the most, shivering slightly.

"Okay, we're not doing this." Danny muttered and struggled to get up. Laura placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Danny, don't." Laura said.

"I have to. You two will freeze. And so will I." Danny answered. Danny got up and stepped away from their spot on the ground. Laura followed.

"But it'll hurt you." Laura said. Danny sighed and held Laura's face in her hands.

"Just for a few moments. But after that I'll be fine. Better even. You know being in wolf form takes away all my aches and pains." Danny said gently. Carmilla stirred.

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a half bad idea." Carmilla's voice was dry and weak. Carmilla attempted to stand but getting off the ground wasn't as easy as getting off the couch, and she fell with a thud. Laura and Danny both scurried over to assist their vampire. 

"Carm, please. Stay still." Laura begged.

"Cupcake, it's what the wolf said. It'll only hurt a moment. But it'll be worth it. Like being a kitten all over again." Carmilla braced herself to stand again. Danny stood with her.  
Danny backed away from her two lovers. A grimace crossed her face and then the cracking began. Old bones rearranged themselves and Danny yelled in pain. The yell turned more animalistic and Danny shrank and shifted. The shriek of agony slowly became a howl of pain. A furry old wolf sat where Danny once was. The wolf shook out her fur and stretched. Laura walked over and held the wolf's face in her hands. 

Danny's wolf form was large and powerful. Not as powerful as she once was but still quite strong. Lafontaine had once identified Danny's wolf as a gray wolf. Canis lupus. The largest known species of wolf in the world. Something Laura could certainly believe.

Laura admired Danny's coat. Her once perfectly ginger fur was dull with patches of white. The streak of fur down her back was mostly gray. Her muzzle and face were mostly white with hints of gray. Her face bore a scar from below her left eye to the middle of her muzzle. It was from an old battle with a vampire who had attempted to attack their family. Carmilla had made a number of enemies in her time and Danny did everything she could to protect her family. Luckily for her, scars gained in her wolf form didn't carry over to her human form.

But Laura's favorite feature of Danny's wolf form was her ability to radiate heat. Her soft fur felt like a warm blanket. Laura hugged her love's fur. When she let her go, Danny gave Laura's face a lick. Laura scratched behind Danny's ear, something Danny had been fond of her whole life. Carmilla came over and fell into Danny, her face in the were wolf's fur. Danny stood steady, allowing Carmilla to use her to balance herself.

"I suppose it's my turn." Carmilla muttered. Danny and Laura made sure Carmilla was steady before stepping away. Carmilla took in a deep breath through her nose. She removed her nasal tube and exhaled. 

In the same way as with Danny, old bones cracked and shifted to their new place. But Carmilla didn't scream. She had been through enough pain in her life to bear this silently. But Carmilla did hiss, her fangs exposed. Before long, a large, looming panther stood, surrounded by a puff of black smoke. 

Carmilla let out a low, primal roar. She stretched out her limbs, feeling invigorated in her panther form. Carmilla's panther was smaller than Danny's wolf but still menacing. Her sleek fur retained more of its original color than Danny's. The only sign of age were a couple of white hairs on the panther's muzzle, a couple old scars on her face, and a torn up left ear. Otherwize, Carmilla’s coat was as perfect as the day she pulled Laura out of the crater under the Lustig building. She had a beautiful black coat that, upon closer inspection, masking her jaguar spots. 

Laura scratched under Carmilla’s chin and received a short chuff in return. Laura thought back to when Lafontaine identified Carmilla as a melanistic jaguar. Panthera onca. The third largest big cats in the world and with the strongest bite of any cat. Again, Laura could believe it. She had once seen Carmilla go toe to toe with a pack of werewolves who didn’t take kindly to a vampire being in love with a human.

Danny walked up and rubbed heads with Carmilla. Carmilla playfully swatted at Danny's face. Danny took this as an invitation to tackle Carmilla and pin her to the ground. 

"Hey! Enough you two." Laura knew they were fine, likely feeling invincible in their animal forms. But she still worried. At this point, it had been years since either of them shifted. A lack of necessity and the intense pain that came with age kept them from it. Not to mention that Laura could never stop herself from being visibly upset at the screams of pain when shifting to and from. 

But there was another reason they stopped shifting. A reason they kept from Laura. Danny had been the first to privately suggest to Carmilla that they stop. It hadn’t taken Carmilla long to agree. Danny thought back to that conversation. In it they had decided to shift one final time, one final run outside. Hunting together, swimming together. Carmilla clawing up trees while Danny howled into the darkness. They allowed themselves this one final night of freedom. They had pledged that they would not shift again after this, unless it was necessary. 

When they made their way home the next morning, Laura was waiting for them on the porch. At the first glimpse of Laura, Danny sprinted to her, still in wolf form. Laura waved at the giant wolf running towards her and the panther calmly moving in the same direction. Carmilla was somehow able to feign even more apathy in cat form. 

Despite her excitement, Danny slowed as she got to the porch. The ever-so caring Danny knew she must be gentle with Laura. Her Laura. Her love who did not have an escape from the aches and pains of old age like Danny did. As Danny approached Laura, a shaking hand came to rest on Danny’s face. Danny whined and licked Laura’s hand. Carmilla was next to climb up the porch, rubbing against Danny as she passed.

“Did you two have a good night?” Laura asked gently. Carmilla gave a chuff and laid her head in Laura’s lap. Laura smoothed out the fur on her head. “I’ve got breakfast in the kitchen waiting for you two. C’mon then.” 

Laura pushed off on the chair she was sitting in. She made it a couple steps before tripping over her own feet with a grunt. But Danny was there fast, catching Laura just before  
she hit the ground. Danny laid down next to her and whined. She allowed Laura to grab her neck and slowly stood up, helping the human onto her feet. Carmilla and Danny flanked Laura as she finished the journey into the kitchen. For Danny and Carmilla, this only further confirmed the idea that they shouldn’t shift any more. If their love wasn’t allowed an escape, neither were they. So that was the last time they entered their animal forms. They dodged Laura’s questions when she asked them, claiming the pain of shifting was too much. Laura never seemed to believe it. 

Danny had hoped that there never came a time when she felt it was necessary to shift again. But here she was, her in her wolf form and Carmilla in her panther. And Laura, her favorite little human. Her favorite little human was shivering.

Danny pawed at Laura, urging her to sit down. Laura complied and Danny dragged blankets around Laura with her teeth. Laura stroked Danny’s head in thanks. Danny moved to lightly head-butt Carmilla. The cat growled, seemingly confused as Danny nudged her closer to Laura. Carmilla got the hint and curled her body around Laura, allowing the human to lay her head against her shoulder comfortably. Danny grabbed the comforter and circled it around the two. Danny managed to cover them both with the comforter with some help from Laura. 

“C’mon, now it’s your turn to be tucked in.” Laura said, lifting an end of the blanket for Danny to crawl in. Danny did as she was told, settling under the comforter that only covered a small part of her body. She was wrapped around Laura, her head on the human’s chest. Her head was close enough for Carmilla to start grooming her, much to Danny’s chagrin. “You two are so warm.” Laura hummed. Both of her shaking hands were occupied, lightly petting both Carmilla and Danny.

At some point Laura and Carmilla both fell asleep. But not Danny. She remained awake, making sure neither of the other two got too cold. But eventually, Danny became content with the fact that her and Carmilla’s fur were keeping Laura plenty warm. She allowed herself to slowly drift off. As she did the storm continued to rage on, wind whipping through the trees. Their cabin creaked with every burst of strong wind. But none of the women stirred or paid it any mind, knowing that their house could handle anything the world could throw at it.

**Author's Note:**

> This took a long time to write but it was quite fun. I study wildlife science and I would have liked to go more in depth with the potential science behind their animal forms but I worried that might be boring? If anyone has any opinions on that or anything else I'd love to hear them.
> 
> Also, I poured over this in search of typos. Let me know if I missed any!


End file.
